The exemplary embodiment relates to the development of a support system for a device, such as a printer. It finds particular application in connection with a system and method for linking a graphical representation of a device to relevant content of a searchable knowledge base. While the exemplary embodiment is described in terms of a troubleshooting application, it is to be appreciated that the system and method find application in device operation, training, and the like.
Traditionally, users seeking a resolution to problems relating to complex devices, such as printers and computers, often resort to telephoning a service agent for the manufacturer who may seek to diagnose the problem over the telephone. The service agent guides the customer through a troubleshooting sequence that is intended to lead to resolution of the problem or identification of the cause.
More recently, user-operated systems have been made available which provide a user with remote access to a searchable knowledge base (SKB). The SKB may be arranged as a set of cases, each including a problem statement which describes an observed problem with a device and one or more associated solutions which can each resolve at least one cause of the problem. When a user identifies a case which appears to fit the observed problem, one or more of the corresponding solutions are displayed to the user, as a series of steps to be performed on the device.
The SKB is generally navigated by text searching, either free-text or guided search of a list or hierarchy of textual categories or topics. The process of troubleshooting a device often involves a visual inspection of the device in order to identify the failing component or components. However, to make full use of the SKB, the user needs to be able to identify, in words, the physical component, which often has a technical name.
To assist users in making the link between the parts or areas identified on the device and the corresponding terms in the SKB, a system supporting device troubleshooting could provide a virtual graphical view of the device, in addition to the SKB, to help the user to navigate its contents. Without links between the graphical view and the SKB, a user would still have difficulty in utilizing the SKB, since the names used in the graphical view, if any, may be different from the terms used in the SKB. However, building and maintaining this kind of resource may be labor-intensive and prone to error, given the complexity of the devices, the variability of the terminology describing them, and the potentially large size of SKBs. Also, several communities of editors can be involved in the management of parts of these resources, at different times, and may also need to use legacy resources.
There remains a need for a system and method of linking an SKB with a visual representation of the device which assists users lacking expert knowledge in the navigation of the knowledge base.